Chapter four, here we go!
"So? Did you think about it?"
Quailpaw mewed to his sister as they walked with the patrol.
"About what?"
"Leaving the Clans!" Quailpaw whispered anxiously, and Darkpaw suddenly remembered Pondpaw's idea. Darkpaw shook her head.
"I… I can't leave," she mumbled, thinking of her prophetic dream. "Don't you think it's better to save the Clans rather than run? We can't abandon ThunderClan."
"Well… Pondpaw was thinking of gathering all of the apprentices, even Coldpaw from ShadowClan, and creating a new Clan, far away from here." Quailpaw said, a bit of sadness in his voice.
Darkpaw was shocked. A new Clan, with all of the apprentices? Quailpaw didn't give her a chance to respond.
"We're going to ask Shiningpaw and Berrypaw later, and we asked Lionpaw to ask Coldpaw for us before she went to ShadowClan to train under Cloudheart." He mewed confidently.
"What about Deadpaw?" Darkpaw asked, remembering the coldness and sadness that echoed from him.
"Well… we don't know what he knows. We'll think about it."
"But he's an apprentice too! Didn't you say all of the apprentices?" Darkpaw hissed, and Quailpaw stopped walking.
"You don't have to stand up for him like that, Darkpaw. We hardly know him."
Darkpaw faltered. That was true, but she couldn't just leave him alone. Deadpaw was somewhere ahead with the rest of the patrol. Lightheart, Spottedface, and Raggedwing were there as well. They were only checking along the ShadowClan border. Lionpaw had left with Brackentail to the same border just earlier, and she had met with Cloudheart and left. Brackentail wanted to go with her to make sure she was safe.
"Hey, Quailpaw, Darkpaw! Hurry up!" Raggedwing growled from ahead, and the two apprentices caught up to the group. "Stop mumbling to each other and maybe you can catch some prey while we're here."
And so the two apprentices stopped speaking for the time being and went on with the duties of the patrol.
Willowleaf and Shiningpaw were having a training session just outside camp when the patrol returned. Shiningpaw looked hopefully up at her mentor, and the deputy nodded. The apprentice padded over to her sister Darkpaw.
"How was your first patrol?" She mewed. Darkpaw's eyes flickered to Quailpaw and back.
"Let's talk elsewhere," the sleek black she-cat meowed, "I don't want to talk with our brother listening."
"But I'm training with Willowleaf, I don't have any time to go sneaking off." Shiningpaw protested. Darkpaw's eyes narrowed.
"Quailpaw will tell you of one of my troubles soon. I'll have to tell you my own trouble when you're done." She sighed and walked off.
"Hey, wait!" Shiningpaw complained, but didn't make a move to go after her. She scowled and went back to Willowleaf to continue training.
Darkpaw found Berrypaw eating a mouse near the fresh-kill pile. She herself grabbed a vole. She and Quailpaw had caught enough on the patrol; he had been stuck with carrying most of it.
Berrypaw looked over at her and gulped down the mouse.
"Did you see my sister when you were out there?" He asked plainly.
"No, Lionpaw is probably at ShadowClan camp right now." Darkpaw replied. She took a bite of her vole. "You seem keen on my sister."
Berrypaw blushed and looked away, "Yeah. I don't know how she thinks of me though…"
Darkpaw purred and replied, "You should just ask her." Her whiskers twitched as she scented Willowleaf and Shiningpaw returning from practice. She saw Berrypaw's eyes light up as he prepared to greet her, but Darkpaw quickly got ahead of him.
"Shiningpaw, let's talk now, before lover boy gets to you first." Darkpaw said quietly, and walked off out of camp, expecting Shiningpaw to follow her. Her sister looked towards Berrypaw, who had paused in his step as Darkpaw whispered something to his love. Shiningpaw turned to follow her sister, leaving Berrypaw fallen. Quailpaw suddenly walked up to the enamored apprentice and whispered something to him. Berrypaw looked concerned at Quailpaw's words, and uncomfortable. Quailpaw shrugged and walked off.
"What is it?" Shiningpaw murmured, "I think Berrypaw wanted to talk to me."
"Doesn't matter now. Apologize to him later." Darkpaw retorted.
"Oh! I never apologized to Lionpaw…" Shiningpaw suddenly recalled her sister's words of wisdom.
"That's okay now," Darkpaw shook her head, "I need to tell you something. Last night, I had a dream from StarClan."
"StarClan?" Shiningpaw gasped, "I had thought they had abandoned us… both Spiritfeather and Scorchpaw are gone." Darkpaw looked away in sadness.
"But I'm sure it was a dream from them! Jayfeather, the old ThunderClan medicine cat from long ago, told me Lionpaw isn't the one destined to become medicine cat." Darkpaw explained, bracing for Shiningpaw's response. But her sister had a confused and distant look on her face.
"Then… who is?" Shiningpaw seemed nervous.
"I am, apparently. I have to get Lionpaw to step down." Darkpaw said softly. Shiningpaw visibly relaxed. "I hardly know her; I don't think I can just tell her…"
"Why don't you tell Stormstar?" Shiningpaw suggested.
"Oh, he wouldn't believe me." Darkpaw chuckled, looking into the distance.
"Well…" the pale apprentice mumbled, "I could tell her. You'd have to be with me to back me up though."
"You want to tell her?" Darkpaw gasped, "She'd claw your ears off!"
"Doesn't matter now." Shiningpaw scoffed, "She has to see that not everything has to go her way. We'll tell her when she gets back."
Darkpaw sighed and agreed, and her sister walked back to the fresh-kill pile, where Berrypaw awaited. The two talked, Berrypaw whispering something grave, and Shiningpaw's expression was unreadable. She was apparently listening to Berrypaw intently. When Berrypaw seemed finished talking, Shiningpaw looked confused. Then he brightened up and said something happily, but Shiningpaw looked away.
Darkpaw's eyes clouded as she scented a ShadowClan cat. She peered backwards and saw Lionpaw returning with Cloudheart. Both cats looked troubled.
"Welcome back." Darkpaw mewed coolly, and Lionpaw dipped a head in greeting.
"We'll make the journey to the Moonpool tomorrow, Lionpaw. Same meeting spot, same time. I know we're rushing, but StarClan…" Cloudheart broke off, and then shook his head. "Well, see you tomorrow." And with that he padded off back to ShadowClan.
"Darkpaw, how are you?" Lionpaw purred suddenly. Darkpaw blinked, Lionpaw wasn't usually this friendly with her.
"Um… well. I have something to tell you though… or, Shiningpaw does, I guess." Darkpaw muttered. Lionpaw's friendly face turned dark.
"What?" she said with venom, and at that point Shiningpaw had trotted up to them. Lionpaw glared at her ex-friend, and Shiningpaw glared back.
"Lionpaw, Darkpaw is receiving dreams from StarClan, and StarClan has told her you're not destined to be the medicine cat!" Shiningpaw hissed.
Only one dream. Darkpaw thought to herself.
"Why not? Why can't I be the medicine cat?" Lionpaw snarled, "Why not me? I have more experience with herbs now than any other cat in this Clan does!"
Hardly, you only just learned the basics today. Darkpaw thought.
"Darkpaw was chosen by StarClan to become medicine cat! You can't always get what you want, Lionpaw. You have to step down." Shiningpaw insisted, trying to stay calm.
"Why should I believe you? You're just jealous!" Lionpaw seemed hysterical.
"Jealous? I rejected your offer to become medicine cat apprentice. I'll be a warrior soon, and I'll be proud of that!" Shiningpaw retorted.
"You're just lying! StarClan wouldn't betray me!" Lionpaw howled, tensing up.
"Betray you? They've done nothing." Shiningpaw said simply, her eyes dull. The only contact with StarClan they had received was Darkpaw's dream, and even she was starting to doubt it. She wanted to believe her sister for multiple reasons.
"Nothing!" Lionpaw mimicked, and unsheathed her claws.
"Stop this foolishness!" Stormstar's voice echoed throughout the camp. All cats turned to look at the bickering apprentices. Lionpaw stared up at her leader angrily.
"Shiningpaw says Darkpaw had a dream from StarClan!" Lionpaw hissed, looking accusingly at Shiningpaw.
"Is that true, Darkpaw?" Stormstar asked, hope in his steady voice. Darkpaw nodded. "What did they say?"
"They said she has to be medicine cat!" Lionpaw yowled, her fur bristling. The Clan murmured among themselves.
"What?!" A yowl arose from Brackentail. "Lionpaw is perfectly capable of being medicine cat!"
Lionpaw's mother, Spiderclaw, didn't say anything. Her brother Berrypaw didn't either. The Clan talked angrily now, arguing over what to do.
"Silence, ThunderClan! If StarClan has really spoken to Darkpaw, maybe they will give the rest of us a sign!" Stormstar suggested in his loud voice, and the Clan brightened.
"That's true, we may receive a sign!" Lightheart said excitedly, and her sister Hornetflight seemed pleased.
"Let's hope it's soon…" Raggedwing muttered.
And it was soon.
A shadowy figure stepped out from the fresh-kill pile, not interrupting its balance. It was a she-cat, with pale fur and crazed eyes. Red liquid marked her muzzle, but it didn't seem to be blood.
Spiderclaw screeched and jumped back. Berrypaw ran with her, and the Clan got as far away as they could from the fresh-kill pile. Was it another warrior from the Place of No Stars, ready to take someone away?
"It's… it's Spiritfeather…" Darkpaw motionlessly pointed out what all the cats had been too afraid to.
Spiritfeather stepped slowly towards the three apprentices and gazed over them. The Clan cats were frozen. It was a StarClan cat with the aura of one from the Dark Forest. Which was she?
The dead medicine cat turned to Darkpaw. Their eyes locked for what seemed like ages, but then Spiritfeather dipped her head. She then turned to Lionpaw, who was in shock.
"You… you're a medicine cat! Why have you joined the ranks of the Dark Forest?" Lionpaw asked, horrified.
"I lost faith in StarClan, but they told me to perform one task…" Spiritfeather's voice was grave.
"What… what would that be?" Lionpaw squeaked, backing up.
Spiritfeather didn't answer, but rushed ahead at Lionpaw.
"Lionpaw!" Berrypaw wailed, rushing forward. Shiningpaw held him back, her eyes daggers in his fur.
Lionpaw screeched as the Dark Forest cat ran through her, and in an instant, the two disappeared, Lionpaw's final words ringing throughout the camp.
After a long time had seemed to pass, Stormstar looked sadly down at Darkpaw.
"Go in Lionpaw's place tomorrow to the Moonpool. The fate of the Clans rests in your paws." He mumbled, and the Clan seemed huddled together, afraid if one was even a tail-length apart from another, they would disappear.
Brackentail's eyes were fixed on where Lionpaw once was. Spiderclaw huddled with Berrypaw, grieving. Spottedface was terrified, and Flowerbelly seemed devastated. It had been enough for her to lose Scorchpaw, but now more cats were being picked off.
But ThunderClan only had so much left to lose.
Remember to review! I'll try to get the next chapter up within three days, I'll be taking it slower from now on.